The Reading / Listening - Cuba Rationing - Level 0

Cuba will ration food and other products. It will ration beans, chicken, eggs, rice, soap and other things. There is an economic crisis in Cuba. There are shortages of food. This is because the USA put a trade embargo on Cuba. Another reason is a crisis in Venezuela means Cuba is getting less fuel.

Cuba imports about two-thirds of its food. It can now import less food. Many supermarket shelves are empty. People must stand in line to buy food. Rationing will stop people buying and keeping food. If people do this, there is less food for others. One shopper in the capital city Havana said life was "tough".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Cuba Rationing - Level 1,  Cuba Rationing - Level 2   or  Cuba Rationing - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48237319
  • https://www.voanews.com/a/cuba-begins-widespread-rationing-in-face-of-crisis/4913153.html
  • https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-economy/cuba-to-ration-more-products-due-to-economic-crisis-us-sanctions-idUSKCN1SG2HA


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Cuba will ration food
  2. It will
  3. soap and other
  4. There is an economic
  5. There are shortages
  6. a trade
  7. a crisis in
  8. Cuba is
  1. Venezuela
  2. things
  3. embargo on Cuba
  4. getting less fuel
  5. ration beans
  6. crisis in Cuba
  7. and other products
  8. of food

Paragraph 2

  1. Cuba imports about two-
  2. It can now
  3. supermarket
  4. People must stand in
  5. stop people buying and
  6. there is less
  7. in the capital
  8. life was
  1. keeping food
  2. city Havana
  3. import less food
  4. food for others
  5. tough
  6. shelves
  7. line to buy food
  8. thirds of its food

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Cuba will ration (1) ___________________ products. It will ration beans, chicken, (2) ___________________ and other things. There (3) ___________________ crisis in Cuba. There are shortages of food. (4) ___________________ the USA put a trade embargo on Cuba. (5) ___________________ a crisis in Venezuela means Cuba is (6) ___________________.

Cuba imports (7) ___________________ its food. It can now (8) ___________________. Many supermarket shelves are empty. People (9) ___________________ line to buy food. Rationing will (10) ___________________ and keeping food. If people do this, there is less (11) ___________________. One shopper in the capital city Havana said (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Cubawillrationfoodandotherproducts.Itwillrationbeans,chicken,egg
s,rice,soapandotherthings.ThereisaneconomiccrisisinCuba.Therear
eshortagesoffood.ThisisbecausetheUSAputatradeembargoonCuba.
AnotherreasonisacrisisinVenezuelameansCubaisgettinglessfuel.Cu
baimportsabouttwo-thirdsofitsfood.Itcannowimportlessfood.Manys
upermarketshelvesareempty.Peoplemuststandinlinetobuyfood.Rati
oningwillstoppeoplebuyingandkeepingfood.Ifpeopledothis,thereisle
ssfoodforothers.OneshopperinthecapitalcityHavanasaidlifewas"tou
gh".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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